Revolving shelf



ritten.'

INVENTOR C. GRITTON REVGLVING SHELF Filed March 20, 1939 Jan. 21', 1941.

unwwmmw lullw. huw Il Wi H 6 ATTO R N EYS Patented Jan. 21, 1941 UNITED @STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

The present invention relates to new and improved store shelves and more particularly to shelves of the revolving type.

An important object of the invention resides in the provision of a system of shelves whereby facility in reaching articles supported thereon is readily accomplished.

A furtherl object is to provide a system' of revolving shelves ythat provides additional storage space, permits a rapid and eflicient dispensing of the merchandise supported thereon, and represents a material time and labor saving device due to the convenient location of the shelves.

The invention will be fully and comprehensively understood from a consideration of the following detailed description when read in con-- nection withthe accompanying drawing which forms a part of the application.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view, partly in section, illustrating a system of rotary shelves embodying the features of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a vfragmentary vertical sectional view of the supporting means for the shelves, and

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional View taken substantially on line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawing for a more detailed description thereof, there is disclosed a supporting base 5 bolted or otherwise secured by means 6 to a flooring 1, said plate forming a bearing surface for the means which supports the shelves and permits the same to be revolved. Referring more particularly to Figure 3 of the drawing, it Will be noted that there is provided a tapered spindle 8 supported centrally of the plate 5 and attached thereto by any desired means. A cylindrical shaped hub 9 surrounds the spindle 8 and is supported on suitable bearings I carried by said spindle whereby said hub is free to rotate with the spindle serving as an axis. The upper end of the hub 9 is exteriorly threaded as indicated at Il for receiving a capping plate I2 having annular portions I3 projecting beyond said hub. A shaft I4 is formed integral with the capping plate I2 and extends upwardly therefrom through the shelf structure generally designated by the numeral I5. The lowermost shelfy IB is bolted as indicated at I1 to the annular portions I3 of the capping plate I2. By this construction, it

y shelves.

will be readily apparent that the shaft I4 and shelf I will revolve with the hub 9 about the spindle 8.

The shaft I4, as afore indicated, extends upwardly and forms the supporting means for the multiplicity of spaced shelves I8. The upper end of the shaft I4 extends through the ceiling I9 and rotates within a` conventional ball bearing 20.

The multiplicity of shelves I8 are supported about the shaft I4 and preferably decrease in diameter to present a tapered appearance with the topmost shelf 2| being considerably less in diameter than the lowermost shelf IB. Each of the shelves is provided with partitioning members 22 extending circumferentially of the shelves and mounted in spaced relation thereon to provide individual compartments for supporting the merchandise. The partitioning members 22 also serve as a supporting means for the adjacent shelf and therefore materially strengthen the superposed structure of shelves.

Spaced strips of material 23 are secured to the periphery of each of the shelves I8 extending from the topmost shelf 2l to the lowermost shelf I6 and are substantially in line with the partition members 22. Gripping handles 24 are carried by each of the strips 23 and are adapted to be engaged for revolving the shelves.

It is to be understood that' the shelves I8 may be of any desired shape and are herein illustrated and described as being circular. Each of the shelves havea central opening for frictionally receiving the shaft I4.

When using the revolving shelves in a store for dispensing merchandise, they are disposed in close proximity to a serving counter. When serving a customer, the clerk may remain in a substantially fixed position and dispense various articles of merchandise from the revolving The clerk can readily reach and remove a greater number of articles from the shelves from a given point than with the ordinary longitudinal wall shelves thereby speeding up service and acting as a labor saving dev1ce.

Also it will be understood, of course, by those skilled in the art -that variations in the herein.- above described device involving the substitution of substantial equivalents for the devices described are intended to be comprehended within the spirit of the present invention and .that the invention is capable of extended application and is not confined to the exact showing of the drawing nor to the precise construction described and,

therefore, such changes and modications may be made therein as do not affect the spirit of the invention nor exceed the scope thereof as expressed in the appended claims. l

What is claimed is:

1. A revolving shelf device comprising, a tapered spindle extending from a supporting base, a housing rotatably mounted on roller bearings carried by said spindle, a cap member secured to said housing, a shaft extending vertically of said cap member and rotatable therewith, and a plurality of shelves disposed on said shaft and supported in spaced relation thereon.

2. A revolving shelf device comprising, a tapered spindle extending from a supporting base, a housing rotatably mounted on roller bearings carried by said spindle, a cap member secured to said housing, a shaft extending vertically of said cap member for rotation with said housing, a first shelf disposed about said shaft rand secured to said cap member, and a plurality of shelves disposed in spaced relation above said first mentioned shelf and supported on said shaft.

3. A revolving shelf device, comprising, a tapered spindle extending from a supporting base, a housing rotatably mounted on roller bearings carried lby said spindle, -a cap member secured to said housing, .a shaft extending vertically of said l cap member for rotation with said housing, a

first shelf disposed about said shaft and secured i to said cap member, and a plurality of shelves disposed -in spaced relation above said first men- 5 .tioned shelf and supported on said shaft, said shelves decreasing in diameter upwardly with the .topmost shelf of a .lesser diameter than the lowermost shelf, and partition members carried by each of said Shel-ves. 10

4. A revolving shelf device comprising, a tapered spindle extending from a supporting base, a housing rotatably mounted on roller bearings carried by said spindle, a cap member threadedly attached .to said housing, said cap member havl5 

